SIx Ivies Advance to the 2011 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championship Field

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Six Ivy League women's track and field athletes advanced through the East Region and will compete on June 8-11 at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa, in the 2011 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

One individual each form Brown, Dartmouth, Penn and Yale, along with a pair from Princeton will content for All-American status and perhaps a national title.

Leading the field is Yale senior Kate Grace, a reigning All-American in the 800m run. She turned in a 2:08.34 time in her preliminary heat, then followed that with the top time in the field in her semifinal heat, racing to a 2:03.41 finish. That time was also the third fastest among both the East and West Regions as the West Region winner Stephanie Brown raced to a 2:02.59 finish and runner-up Lauren Roesler of Oregon finished in 2:03.12 in their semifinal heats in Eugene, Ore.

Princeton senior Ashley Higginson returns to the NCAA Championship after earning automatic qualification in the 3,000m steeplechase with a time of 10:00.78 in her heat of the 3,000m steeplechase. Also advancing for the Tigers was junior Alex Banfich, who qualified in the 5,000m run with a time of 16:18.64.

The final Ivy qualifier was Brown's Brynn Smith in the hammer throw. The 2011 Ivy League champion in the event, Smith, a senior, earned a qualifying mark of 199-01 (60.69m). This marks Smith fourth consecutive trip to the NCAA Outdoor Championship.